Sen. Mitt Romney (R-UT) has often positioned himself as a voice of reason and moral authority, particularly in his criticisms of President Donald Trump. However, a recent admission in McKay Coppins’ new book, “Romney: A Reckoning,” calls into question the basis of his criticisms of the 45th President.
In the book, Romney admits he was unaware of the specifics of the Burisma situation during Trump’s impeachment over a phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. This is a stunning admission, given that Burisma was at the heart of the impeachment inquiry.
Mitt Romney Admits He Didn’t Know Anything About Burisma During Trump’s Ukraine Impeachment https://t.co/fMgGkjhBXe
— Mollie (@MZHemingway) October 20, 2023
During the fall of 2019, Romney gave multiple interviews to left-wing media, positioning himself in opposition to Trump and signaling his support for the impeachment efforts. However, in a revealing conversation with Sean Hannity, Romney admitted he did not know what Burisma was. Hannity rightly questioned, “How do you not know what Burisma is?”
This ignorance is particularly damning given that Burisma was a central aspect of the impeachment inquiry. When he was vice president, Joe Biden had a significant role in addressing Ukrainian corruption. At the same time, his son Hunter and his business partner secured lucrative board positions with Burisma, a Ukrainian energy company under investigation for corruption. Trump was subsequently impeached for asking about Burisma in a phone call with Zelensky.
Romney’s ignorance about Burisma undermines his criticism of Trump. It reveals a lack of principle in his support for the impeachment. Romney claims to support the conservative agenda advanced by Trump but dislikes the former president’s personality and rhetoric. However, Romney’s behavior suggests his opposition to Trump is more personal than principled.
Furthermore, Romney’s critique of right-wing media, as detailed in Coppins’ book, appears to be a convenient scapegoat for his unpopularity within the Republican Party. Romney criticizes figures like Tucker Carlson and Sean Hannity, accusing them of radicalizing the GOP. However, his actions, statements, and his admitted ignorance about key political events suggest that his alienation from the party has more to do with his own inconsistencies than with any alleged propaganda from right-wing media.
Romney’s admission of ignorance about Burisma significantly undermines his critique of Trump. It reveals a lack of principle in his support for the impeachment. It also highlights a broader pattern of inconsistency and opportunism in Romney’s political behavior.
Romney’s criticism of the America First movement appears to be more of a convenient excuse than a genuine concern about the state of the Republican Party. Ultimately, Romney’s actions and statements suggest that his moral grandstanding and positioning as a voice of reason are more about personal animosity toward Trump than any genuine commitment to conservative principles.
